After attending an Assembly Minority Conference hearing in Rochester yesterday, I am more convinced than ever that additional toll hikes on the New York State Thruway would have a crippling effect on our upstate economy and our residents who live here.

Everyone who testified agreed that a toll increase is not in the best interest of our state, especially upstate. A toll increase would obviously impact anyone who uses the Thruway, from local residents and tourists to area businesses that depend on trucking to ship their products.

Increased tolls also will have the likelihood of pushing more traffic, especially commercial truck traffic, off the Thruway onto local secondary roads, resulting in more congestion, infrastructure damage and the possibility of more accidents. For the best interest of upstate New York, the Thruway Authority should rescind its toll hike proposal immediately.